** Please note, if you have a very sweet tooth, add an extra ½ cup or 100 g sugar
12ozFl . or 330 ml of Plain Yogurt1 ⅓ cups
½TeaspoonVanilla Extract
4Tablespoonscornflour / cornstarch
½Teaspoonof lemon juice
2TablespoonsHoney
For the Topping (optional)
1Cupor 40 g Pecan Nutsdivided
2TablespoonsHoney
1Cupor 235 ml Fresh Whipping Cream for serving or decorating on the top.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 F, 170 C. Line the base of a 10 inch / 25 cm round spring form pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan. Also, wrap the bottom of your spring form pan in aluminum foil so the foil also comes up the sides, like a coat. This will stop any water from seeping into the pan once it is in the water bath.
In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the eggs, and beat until everything is combined and smooth. Then slowly add the lightly beaten eggs, again, until everything is combined. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and using the tip of a knife, lightly swirl around to get rid of any air bubbles you see.
Carefully transfer the cheesecake to a larger baking pan, and fill with water in it, just halfway up the outside of the springform pan. This will allow the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly. Then place in the oven and bake for 45 - 55 minutes. There should be a slight wobble to the cheesecake and a little golden on the surface. Once done, switch the oven off, and leave the cake inside with the door closed for a further 60 minutes.
When the cake has fully cooled, place in the fridge to chill, preferably overnight, but at least for 6 hours.
When chilled, you may decorate the top and sides as follows:
For the Pecans:
Crush HALF of the pecans until crumbs, set aside, and with the other half, roast them on a baking tray with parchment and 1 Tablespoon of honey. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and give them a stir so the honey is coating the nuts, then allow to cool. They will stick together a little bit, but once cool, you can separate them easily.
For the Cream:
Whip up some fresh whipping cream until stiff, and using a round bladed knife, put a light coating around the sides of the cake (to allow the crushed pecans to stick). Place the remaining cream in a piping bag and decorate the top as you like.
Pour some honey in the center of the cheesecake and let it spread. Then arrange the honey coated pecans on the top and sprinkle any remaining crushed pecans all over and return to the fridge for 4 - 6 hours minimum to firm up nicely. Please note, If you want to pour honey to completely cover the top of the cheesecake, be aware it will be very sweet, so you may wish to reduce the amount of sugar used in the ingredients by around ⅓.